Chateau Barryres 2006 - a taste of what a really fine wine might have to offer

Chateau Barrryres

Haut Medoc

Cru Bourgois 2006

In 1986 when I was earning just £6,200 a year in a very modest job in the City (just round the corner from St Paul's) I treated myself to the most expensive shoes I have ever bought - a pair of hand finished brogues from Church & Co. They cost me £108 (1/4 of my salary in those days) and I still have the receipt to prove it. Wearing them I felt that I was something much bigger than I really was in the City. I loved the squeak they made, the way they hugged my feet and they way they shone - and got better with every polish. However, in shoe making terms Church's shoes, while truly exquisite and an investment purchase in anyone's books, offer just a taste of what true craftsman-made shoes can offer. They are fine but not as fine as the ultimate English shoemaking experience offered by John Lobb which must surely be the pinnacle of shoemaking heaven, as adorned by Kings, Prime Ministers, Heads of State, Lords and so on.

And this is exactly what I felt about this wonderful entry level experience of a fine wine offered by this cheeky, elegant little number that I found hiding on the shelves in Sainsbury's in Barkingside of all places, one of several capitals of Chav Heaven in a county know more for its bling than it bon biveur.

In the hierarchy of Haut Medoc classifications, Cru Bourgeois wines, which have now been removed as a designation (pending the outcome of various legal wrangling) is essentially the bottom end of the fine wine ladder. However, to descibe this wine as 'bottom end' or an 'entry level fine wine' is to do it a severe injuustice, not least of all because I do think that this is a truly elegant and exquisite number that offers all the things that the boys and girls on the fine wine tasting panels are looking for. And at £9.99 what you get in this particular bottle is a supple, silky wine that clearly has enormous potential to develop greater complexity in coming years.

A well crafted balance between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter has clearly made its presence felt by offering some well rounded tannins and a tempered woodiness, while the overall mix of the two grapes fuses together to create a licorice and lavender bouquet which is simply magical. I drank this in nearly one sitting nibbling bits of French cheese left over from Christmas. Mrs W agreed that there was a strong hint of licorice but didn't quite get the lavender. However, she did agree that it was a finely made wine and wanted to know its retail provenance - for fear that I had sneaked into some horrendlously well heeled wine purveyor in the City. 'Well actually, I bought it in Essex in Sainsbury's', came my reply - 'and I shall be buying some more, if not to drink now to lay down for Christmas 2010, 11 and beyond', I hastily added.

To counterbalance my enthusiasm, I have to confess that elegant though it is, this is a lighter, dare I say feminine Claret which may lose its way alongside some overpowering steak or game dishes. However, it is none the less a fine bottle of wine for it and I shall be venturing back to Sainsbury's, if not to Essex, to grab a few more at this implausible cheap price of £9.99.

And referring back to my analogy over a pair of shoes, I do feel that this is the sort of wine that really could get you imagining just what it might be like to taste a Chateau Lafite, Chateau Haut Brion, Chateau Beychevelle - wearing a pair of John Lobb brogues.

Very Decent Wine: 8/10

Dinner Party Appeal: 9/10 (this one has legs

Probability of Buying Again: 10/10

Happy New Year - pop goes the Cremant du Jura

Philippe Michel

Cremant du Jura

Aldi £6.99

If you could choose a brand new car for around £20k, what would you have in your post Christmas New Year stocking? A bottom of the range C Class Merc with no extra bits and pieces or a top of the range Skoda Superb, for exactly the same price, but with all the refinements and bits and pieces that make it truly special. Superb even.

This is a similar dilemma to one that many people face when it comes to buying bubbly for that special occasion such as New Year, or a wedding, or a major birthday etc. When it comes to buying bubbly, for some reason everyone seems to want to buy in to the 'Champagne' experience at whatever price, often falling for the very lowest entry point possible.

This is a shame because I am almost certain that if they were presented with a sparkling wine alternative, dressed up as Champagne, 9 people out of 10 wouldn't be able to tell the difference. And quite literally, 9 people out of every 10 are all the poorer for this.

All I can say is that, for £6.99, Aldi's Cremant de Jura is the most convincing Champagne alternative I have had the pleasure of quaffing in sufficient quantities for years. And I'm not alone in thinking this - the wine has won a mantelpiece of awards including:

* Which? Best Buy for Sparkling Wine, December 2009
* Best in Class, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2009
* Quality Drink Awards 2006, 2008, 2009

Made from 100% Chardonnay, this very classy sparkler more than proves that you can have the champagne experience for half the price of an entry level 'real champagne' and probably a quarter of the price of a big name luxury non vintage brand such as Veuve Cliquot or Moet et Chandon. And what's more, you're buying a sparkling wine that is made in a very similar way to Champagne, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle - the process that gives it al those highly coveted bubbles.

Apart from the price, what really delights me about this wine is its balanced flavour - erring on the fashionable side of dry rather than heading in the direction of a sweet chestnutty presentation. Given the current vogue for sparkling wines, and champage in particular, to lean towards a drier, less sticky sweet demeanour, this classy little number is very much on trend - crisp, refreshing and citrussy. And just like that top of the range Skoda model I was talking about, truly Superb.

Dinner Party Appeal: 10/10 (classy for those in the know)

Value for Money: 11/10 (low entry Champagne looks a poor deal in comparison)

Probablility of Buying Again: 15/10 (Have already bought another half dozen)